Final Correctional Services Solomon Islands Gender Action Plan 2026-2027 (endorsed)

04/05/2026

Final Correctional Services Solomon Islands Gender Action Plan 2026-2027 (endorsed)

CSSI Gender Action Plan

How was it developed? This 2-year Gender Action Plan (GAP) has been developed in consultation with senior leadership and women and men working across CSSI (both in Honiara and provincial centres) between August and November 2025.

What will we do? Actions have been identified to align with the CSSI Strategic Direction 2023-26, the CSSI Annual Business Work Plan 2025/2026 and to respond to recommendations from the 2024 Gender Audit: Hand in Hand for Gender Equality (launched June 2025). As identified against each action, GAP implementation and monitoring is a shared responsibility of all CSSI units. Each action identifies a unit or position/s as holding “Lead” responsibility and accountability for progress. The Action “Lead” or “Leads” should be supported by several other positions or functions identified as having “Support” responsibilities.

How will we measure progress? The GAP includes key indicators for all core functions that are being reviewed alongside Business Work Plan indicators. These will be incorporated into monthly unit reporting. A Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Committee will be established to oversight GAP progress. This Committee will compile and submit quarterly updates on the status of all GAP actions.

What resources will support implementation? Expected resourcing needs are detailed in the final section of the GAP. An annual implementation budget will be developed once the available budget for the upcoming financial year are confirmed by the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services. Accompanying guidance posters will be displayed in CSSI units/offices to support implementation.

CSSI Gender function

The CSSI Gender function is created under the CSSI manpower establishment and currently includes a Gender Lead and Gender Officer. The function is responsible for supporting CSSI’s advancement of gender equality goals. This includes working with men and women across all core functions to realise gender equality across CSSI’s work. The CSSI gender function is available to provide CSSI units with relevant technical assistance to support GAP implementation and monitoring. The function is only responsible for directly progressing actions where identified as the relevant Lead.

By contrast, the CSSI Women’s Network is open to all CSSI female officers and coordinated by a voluntary executive committee and provincial sub-committees. The Network identifies and advocates for the issues facing women within CSSI and runs activities to strengthen women-to-women networks, support women’s wellbeing and build confidence, morale and leadership. This may include provision of broad lifeskills training to advance these goals.

The Gender function works in partnership with the Women’s Network and all other CSSI units to eliminate gender inequality in CSSI.

Core function	Key priority	#	Key actions	Responsibility (Lead/Support)	Timeline / Completion date
Prisoner management	1.1 Secure and humane containment	A	Review and finalise the draft “The Management of Mothers and Children in Correctional Centres Policy” and update accompanying SOP (Standing Order 2-11).	Lead: Accommodation Manager, Female Unit OIC Support: Commandants; Project Manager, OIC Medical, Policy Coordinator, Gender Lead/Officer	Jun 2026
		B	Include gender-sensitive approaches in emergency response planning and training (inclusive of de-escalation and trauma-informed intervention) for CERT/ERG teams, ensuring safety protocols consider specific needs of male and female adult and juvenile prisoners.	Lead: Director ERG Support: CSTA Director, Gender Lead/Officer	Dec 2026
	1.2 Rehabilitation and reintegration	A	Review and, as necessary, update procedure (Rove and all provincial Correctional Centres) to ensure equal access to programs for male and female adult and juvenile prisoners (including vocational and industry programs).	Lead: Director – Programs and Rehabilitation, Director Enterprises, Commandants Support: Gender Lead/Officer	Nov 2026
		B	Review and endorse an updated Thinking, Feeling, Doing prisoner program to ensure alignment with SIG ending violence against women-related legislation, policies and proven rehabilitation approaches.	Lead: Director – Programs & Rehabilitation Support: Commandants, Gender Lead/Officer	Oct 2026
		C	Deliver Training of Trainers to CSSI Programs team to facilitate the revised Thinking, Feeling, Doing program and progress rollout to prisoners.	Lead: Director – Programs & Rehabilitation, CSTA Director Support: DCO & Gender Lead/Officer	Mar 2027
Workforce management and development	2.1 Human resources	A	Flexibly implement working arrangements and entitlements (e.g. sick/carer’s leave entitlements, roll call arrangements) to address disproportionate impacts on officers with family caring responsibilities.	Lead: Director HR Support: Gender Lead/Officer; Women’s Network, Commandant	April 2027
		B	Allocate female and male officers fairly across all units in Headquarters and all Correctional Centres (including CERT/ERG). This ensures opportunities for male and female officers and supports accountability for actions for gender equality.	Lead: Executive, Directors and Commandants Support: Director HR	Ongoing (with baseline to be established from January 2026)
		C	Encourage women’s representation in leadership roles across all units and Correctional Centres (including supporting access to leadership/empowerment opportunities).	Lead: Executive, Directors and Commandants Support: Director HR	Ongoing
		D	Incorporate targets of minimum 30% female representation in recruitments, selection and promotion policies and procedures. Targets must be accompanied by tools to support implementation.	Lead: Executive, Director HR Support: Executive	Jun 2026
		E	Ensure equal, transparent distribution of available (including additional) CSSI accommodation for female and male officers. Consider advertising vacancies and document and share decision-making process.	Lead: Housing Committee, Director HR, Commandants Support: Director Infrastructure; Director HR Gender Lead/Officer and Women’s Network	Mar 2026 (and ongoing based on housing availability)
	2.2 Staff training and development	A	Ensure training database consistently captures male / female officers and Correctional Centre location participation in internal and external training opportunities. Use data to inform and monitor selection of minimum 30% female participants, and fair access for officers across all correctional centre locations.	Lead: CSTA Director, Director HR, L&D Committee Support: Gender Lead/Officer	Jun 2026
		B	Continue delivery of Gender, Power Relations and Violence Against Women training (incorporating the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Operational Procedure 2023 training) to CSSI personnel throughout Solomon Islands. Ensure that an annual schedule is agreed and shared.	Lead: CSTA Director, Director HR, L&D Committee Support: GPRVAW and safeguarding facilitators; Gender Lead/Officer	Feb 2026 & 2027 (for annual schedule); ongoing implementation
		C	Progressively expand the qualified CSSI GPRVAW and safeguarding facilitators (e.g. Training Unit, provincial representatives) through an additional Trainer of Training delivery/ies.	Lead: Director CSTA, Director HR Support: Gender Lead/Officer; GPRVAW and safeguarding facilitators	Oct 2026 – Dec 2027
		D	Formally incorporate the Gender, Power Relations and Violence Against Women training (inclusive of the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Operational Procedure 2023 training) into the CSSI recruit training.	Lead: Director CSTA, Director HR Support: Gender Lead/Officer	Dec 2026
	2.4 Gender	A	Provide technical assistance to CSSI units to support implementation of their Gender Action Plan responsibilities. Where the gender function or safeguarding focal point/s do not have relevant technical skills, this includes identifying partners who can provide specialised assistance to the Gender function and/or CSSI units and/or completion of supplementary training for relevant officers.	Lead: Gender Lead/Officer, Safeguarding focal point/s Support: DCA, DCO, Women’s Network	Ongoing
		B	Fully resource the Gender unit through the recruitment of a Gender Lead and appointment of gender focal points in all provinces.	Lead: Director HR Support: DCA, Executive, Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Jun 2026
		C	Establish (including developing a Terms of Reference) a Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Committee chaired by the Gender unit and inclusive of representatives from all CSSI Units and Women’s Network to provide quarterly reporting on Gender Action Plan implementation. This Committee will also make recommendations for essential engagement with the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services to achieve the Gender Action Plan.	Lead: Commissioner, DCO Support: Gender Officer/Lead, Directors, Commandants, Executive	Jan 2026
		D	Appoint a representative of the Gender unit (Gender Lead/Officer) or Women’s Network to all CSSI Committees.	Lead: Commissioner Support: DCA, DCO; Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Mar 2026
		E	Identify and allocate a dedicated workspace for the Gender function. The workspace should also store materials for the Women’s Network.	Lead: DCA, Director Infrastructure, Director HR Support: Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Jun 2026
		F	Fully implement the Women’s Network Terms of Reference, including appointment of a male representative in all Women’s Network Sub-Committees in provincial centres.	Lead: Women’s Network Executive Support: Gender Officer/Lead	Mar 2026
	2.5 Staff welfare	A	Review and update the MoU with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to provide access to gender responsive health care services (mental health counselling (including following emergency incidents) and reproductive rights).	Lead: Director HR, Commandants Support: Medical OIC	Jun 2026
Resource management	3.1 Finance	A	Secure budget to facilitate organisational Gender Action Plan implementation. This will include developing submissions for all gender-related activities within the annual CSSI budget bid, continued advocacy to the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, and budget monitoring. It may also include identifying partners who can receive budget proposals to provide supplementary funding to support specific actions.	Lead: Director Finance, responsible Directors, Gender Lead/Officer Support: Commissioner, Women’s Network	Apr/May 2026 & 2027
	3.2 Commercial enterprise	A	Refer above at 1.2A	Lead: Director – Programs & Rehabilitation, Director Enterprises, Commandants Support: Commandants & Gender Lead/Officer	Oct 2026
	3.3 Transport	A	Ensure that the transport unit includes female and male drivers and provide driving lessons for all officers allocated to the transport unit.	Lead: Director Transport, Director Logistics Support: DCA & Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Mar 2026
	3.4 Communication	A	Update media policies to clearly include guidance and expectations around gender-sensitive, accessible language and representation in publications.	Lead: Media Officer Support: Director Strategic Planning and Policy & Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Oct 2026
	3.5 Information Communication Technology	A	Record and report computer allocations to ensure equitable distribution of available resources to female and male officers.	Lead: Director ICT, Director HR Support: Director Logistics	Quarterly
	3.6 Stores and procurement	A	Design a maternity uniform and review design of existing uniform and equipment (including for CERT/ERG) to ensure appropriate fit for female bodies.	Lead: Quarter Master, Director Logistics, Director ERG Support: Uniform Committee, Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Jun 2026
Governance	4.1 Professional standards	A	Ensure that the revised Discipline Manual includes strong penalties for sexual harassment in compliance with the Public Service Act 2025 (s119(2)) and Public Service Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Policy 2025-30).	Lead: Director Professional Standards, Commissioner Support: Director Strategic Planning and Policy, Commandants, Hearing Officer, Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Dec 2026
		B	Develop a guideline/checklist to ensure that the revised Discipline Manual provides flexibility in applying penalties for officers with family caring responsibilities.	Lead: Director Professional Standards, Commissioner Support: Director Strategic Planning and Policy, Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network, Commandants	Dec 2026
	4.2 Compliance and audit	A	Develop and rollout regular staff awareness / refresher training on CSSI policies and procedures (inclusive of the Discipline Manual) to strengthen consistent enforcement. This may include developing summary or visual versions of policies that could be displayed in Correctional Centres, developing checklists to guide enforcement and/or preparatory training for training officers.	Lead: CSTA Director, Director Inspectorate and Compliance, Director Strategic Planning and Policy Support: DCA, Gender Lead/Officer, Director Professional Standards, other relevant Directors, Commandants	Oct 2026 – Dec 2027
	4.3 Strategic planning (corporate planning and policy development)	A	Support legal review to inform updates to relevant CSSI policies and procedures.	Lead: Legal Officer (under recruitment), Director Strategic Planning and Policy Support: DCA, Director HR	Dec 2026
		B	Review, finalise and circulate all current and draft gender, child safeguarding and juvenile justice related policies and SOPs (e.g. Equity in the workplace; Workplace harassment; Maternity leave and return to work; Domestic violence policy; Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy; HR policies and practices) ensuring compliance with the Public Service Act 2025 (e.g. s119(2-3)) and Public Service Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Policy 2025-30. This may include creating a Working Group to guide policy review.	Lead: Policy Coordinator, Gender Lead/Officer; Juvenile Unit OIC Support: Director Strategic Planning and Policy, Director HR, Women’s Network, Child Safeguarding Focal Points	Dec 2026
	4.4 Strategic planning (monitoring and evaluation)	A	Revise monitoring templates to track Gender Action Plan (inclusive of child safeguarding) progress and provide evidence to support annual reflection, planning and budget submissions.	Lead: M&E Officer & Gender Lead/Officer Support: Director Strategic Planning and Policy, Director Finance	Mar 2026
		B	Review organisational information management systems functionality to confirm systems can collect and analyse sex disaggregated data (F/M) across all units.	Lead: M&E Officer, Director HR Support: Director Strategic Planning and Policy; Gender Lead/Officer	Oct 2026
		C	Where sex disaggregated data is available (e.g. through JIMS (prisoners) and Aurion (officers)), provide data analysis for relevant Gender Action Plan indicators.	Lead: Director HR, Prison Affairs Data Officer Support: M&E Officer, ICT Officer, Gender Lead/Officer	Quarterly
		D	Develop and cost a plan for organisational information management systems improvements for any systems that cannot collect and analyse sex disaggregated data.	Lead: M&E Officer, Directors, Commandants Support: Director Strategic Planning and Policy, Gender Lead/Officer, Director Finance, Director HR	Mar 2027
Infrastructure	5.1 Project and asset management	A	Appoint the Gender Lead/Coordinator or a Women’s Network representative to the CSSI Working Group for the planned CSSI Infrastructure Development Plan.	Lead: Director Infrastructure Support: Commissioner, Executive	Mar 2026
		B	Ensure that the Infrastructure Development Plan incorporates gender-sensitive, accessible infrastructure improvements, including to support emergency response operations e.g. separate sanitation facilities for male and female staff, separate male and female staging / change areas, female block upgrades that cater for juvenile prisoners, prisoners with psychosocial disabilities and female prisoners living with their babies and in provincial locations.	Lead: Director Infrastructure Support: Executive, Project Manager, Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Mar 2027 and ongoing
	5.2 New projects	A	Develop a proposal (design and costing) for CSSI staff private changing spaces and breastfeeding facilities at HQ and Correctional Centres for inclusion in the CSSI Infrastructure Development Plan. The proposal should consider how existing infrastructure could be modified or upgraded to provide staff changing spaces or breastfeeding facility.	Lead: Director Infrastructure Support: Infrastructure Development Plan Working Group, Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network	Jun 2026
	5.3 Facility maintenance and upgrade	A	Develop a checklist for gender-sensitive, inclusive auditing for facility maintenance and upgrades.	Lead: Deputy Director Infrastructure Support: Project Manager, Gender Lead/Officer, Women’s Network, Executive	Dec 2026
		B	Implement the checklist for facility maintenance and upgrades.	Lead: Director Infrastructure Support: Deputy Director Infrastructure, Project Manager, Gender Lead/Officer	Jan – Dec 2027 (ongoing)
	5.4 Asset Management	A	Record and report asset allocations to ensure equitable distribution of available resources across units and female and male officers.	Lead: Director Infrastructure, Asset Manager Support: Deputy Finance, Gender Lead/Officer	Quarterly

Monitoring (Progress Indicators)

Note: As at end November 2025, proposed GAP progress indicators are being reviewed by CSSI units alongside Annual Business Work Plan 2025/2026 indicators. This review process may lead to some adjustments in the final GAP progress indicators.

Core function	Progress indicators Note: Where actions will be sufficiently reported against through progress (i.e. has X been completed), additional specific indicators have not been proposed for core function indicators	Data source / responsibility	Frequency
All core functions	Status of GAP actions in the reporting period (not yet started, some progress, good progress, strong progress, complete, gone backwards)	GEDSI Committee assessment (drawing upon monthly unit and member reports)	Quarterly
Prisoner management	# prisoners (F/M/location/program) completing programs, inclusive of vocational and industry programs	Program reports	Monthly
Prisoner management	Evidence of changes to CSSI prisoner programming to incorporate proven ending violence against women rehabilitation approaches	Program reports	Monthly
Workforce management and development	Distribution of F/M across CSSI units and Correctional Centres (# and % staff)	HR system (Aurion) / HR reports	Monthly
	# and % staff (F/M) recruited AND # and % staff (F/M) promoted	HR system (Aurion) / HR reports	Monthly
	# and % (F/M) in senior leadership roles Note: CSSI to define “senior leadership roles” (e.g. PS levels or positions)	HR system (Aurion) / HR reports	Monthly
	# and % staff (F/M) participating in training and learning opportunities (internal / external-national / external – international)	Training logs	Monthly
	# staff (F/M/location) who have completed the Gender, Power Relations and Violence Against Women (GPRVAW) training (incorporating the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Operational Procedure 2023 training)	Training logs	Monthly
	Evidence of efforts to ensure the 30% targets are reached	HR and Training reports	Monthly
	Examples of officers applying gender equality and safeguarding knowledge in their work	All unit reports	Monthly
	Examples of Gender Unit technical assistance provided CSSI teams to support Gender Action Plan implementation	Gender reports	Monthly
Resource management	Annual value of CSSI budget and resourcing (disaggregated by core function) to support Gender Action Plan implementation	Finance reports / annual budget	Annual
Resource management	# of drivers (F/M) in Transport Unit	Transport reports	Monthly
Governance	# of workplace harassment incidents	Professional Standards reports	Monthly
	Evidence of flexible application of penalties under the Discipline Manual for officers with family / caring responsibilities	Professional Standards reports	Monthly
	Evidence of policy distribution and awareness (including in accessible formats) across CSSI	Training / Inspectorate and Compliance / Policy Unit reports	Monthly
	# of finalised updated gender, child safeguarding and juvenile justice-related policies and SOPs (e.g. Equity in the workplace; Workplace harassment; Maternity leave and return to work; Domestic violence policy; Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy)	Policy and Gender reports	Monthly
Infrastructure	Evidence gender-sensitive, accessible infrastructure improvements within the Infrastructure Development Plan	Infrastructure reports	Monthly
Infrastructure	Evidence of development and use of gender-sensitive infrastructure audit checklist	Infrastructure reports	Monthly

Gender Action Plan Quarterly update: Overview of status of CSSI Gender Action Plan actions
1	Prisoner Management	2	Workforce management and development	3	Resource management	4	Governance	5	Infrastructure
1A	Choose an item.	1A	Choose an item.	1A	Choose an item.	1A	Choose an item.	1A	Choose an item.
1B	Choose an item.	1B	Choose an item.	2A	Choose an item.	1B	Choose an item.	1B	Choose an item.
2A	Choose an item.	1C	Choose an item.	3A	Choose an item.	2A	Choose an item.	2A	Choose an item.
2B	Choose an item.	1D	Choose an item.	4A	Choose an item.	3A	Choose an item.	3A	Choose an item.
2C	Choose an item.	1E	Choose an item.	5A	Choose an item.	3B	Choose an item.	3B	Choose an item.
		2A	Choose an item.	6A	Choose an item.	4A	Choose an item.	4A	Choose an item.
		2B	Choose an item.			4B	Choose an item.
		2C	Choose an item.			4C	Choose an item.
		2D	Choose an item.			4D	Choose an item.
		4A	Choose an item.
		4B	Choose an item.
		4C	Choose an item.
		4D	Choose an item.
		4E	Choose an item.
		4F	Choose an item.
		5A	Choose an item.
5		16		6		9		6

Required implementation resources and budget

Implementation resourcing

Core function	Resources (resourcing which requires funding is highlighted in bold)
Prisoner management	Existing staff resources, GEDSI technical support (e.g. SOP revisions, gender-sensitive approaches in emergency response planning, Thinking, Feeling, Doing review), consultation and ToT funding
Workforce management and development	Existing staff resources, GEDSI technical support (e.g. HR tools, database restructures, TOR development), new position, training and ToT rollout funding Note: Should incorporate budget from Audit recommendations 1-2 (Gender Action Plan monitoring and Gender Unit & WN resourcing) and 3 (Training) 2025-27 budget
Resource management	Existing staff resources, GEDSI technical support (budget development, uniform design), consultation funding
Governance	Existing staff resources, GEDSI technical support (e.g. refresher training package, checklists/accessible policy formats), consultation and refresher/awareness funding
Infrastructure	Existing staff resources, GEDSI technical support (e.g. checklist development), possible funding for checklist implementation

Annual budget

An annual implementation budget will be developed once the available budget for the upcoming financial year is confirmed by the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services. This will generally occur late in the previous financial year (e.g. late 2025 for the 2026 financial year). The budget will detail available CSSI funding and identify additional funding support required from external partners to support implementation by CSSI personnel.

The CSSI Finance Unit will work with the Gender function, relevant Directors and the GEDSI Committee (once established) to develop the draft annual budget for Executive approval. Where technical support and supplementary funding needs are identified, requests will be made to relevant external partners for assistance.